Heavy wind and rain to lash UK: here comes the 'Pest from the West'

Heavy rain and winds of up to 80mph will lash Britain causing further travel disruption, the Met Office warned today.

Forecasters had said a white Christmas was “a dead cert” but are now predicting grisly wet weather as the “Beast from the East” gives way to a “Pest from the West”.

There will be a repeat of the freezing fog which blanketed many parts of the south east on Tuesday and disrupted flights at airports around the capital.

But there is some good news, with London set to become warmer over the weekend.

Met Office forecaster Dan Williams said: “Forecasters predicted that we were going to see winds from the East, and colder temperatures would pick up on moisture being dumped, which becomes snow.

“However, the atmosphere has changed its mind and a strong pressure system will override that, so the UK will see wet, windy and milder weather from the west.

“There isn’t going to be snow, it’s going to be wet, windy and milder instead.

“There could be some snow but it will turn into rain for most parts of the country on Friday.

“Saturday and Sunday will see showers and lots of cloudy weather, but there could be some sunshine. Temperatures will hit between 7C and 11C, and the south will see double figures.”